Here, now and in full is the Eater 38, your answer and ours to any question that begins, “Can you recommend a restaurant…” This highly elite group, which dates way back the halcyon days of 2005, covers the entire city, spans myriad cuisines and, collectively, satisfies all of your restaurant needs, save for those occasions when you absolutely must spend half a paycheck. Over time, the Eater 38 will change, with new restaurants joining as others fall off, but we'll keep the total number steady at 38. The only hard and fast rule of engagement is that a restaurant must be open at least six months to qualify for inclusion on the list, though strong consideration is given to neighborhood favorites over fancier destination spots. And so, without further ado—and in no particular order—here is the Eater 38.

Rather than a stage-4 meltdown over our having excluded your favorite restaurant from the list, wouldn't it be more productive to just nominate it for inclusion?